any a
discussion did they indulge in with reference to their future
movements. Numerous and various were the suggestions made by one or
other of the party, but, excellent though some of them may have been,
on discussion all were vetoed. Yet, something must be done, something
definite decided upon; and finally, in desperation almost, Henri
decided to emerge from their hiding-place and make a closer
investigation of their surroundings.

"It stands to reason," he told his friends at the end of one of these
fruitless discussions--"it stands to reason that if we leave the place
now--and in the course of a few hours we shall be forced to, seeing
that our food-supply is almost gone--we shall be hardly any better off
than we were at the commencement; for you have to remember that a full
and complete description of us has been telegraphed broadcast, and,
though the novelty of the event has now worn off, no doubt there are
hundreds of police officers on the look-out for us. Thus it follows
that to make our escape successful we must either march at night-time
only--which renders the purchase of food almost an impossibility, and
compels us to steal it or get it in much the same way as we got this
supply from the farm building--or we must find disguises which will
alter our appearance entirely and allow us even to board a train and
travel with ordinary people. I'll take a look round while you fellows
stay up here. If I'm caught--well, it's bad luck, that's all, and
needn't spoil your chances."

Slipping out of the room when dusk had fallen, and the voices of the
work-people had subsided and their retreating footsteps had died away
in the distance, Henri gained the huge room below, and, descending to
the lower floor, made his way out into the yard; then, taking the
utmost caution to guard against surprise, he visited each of the
buildings in turn, narrowly escaping, in one of them, running face to
face with a workman engaged in attending to a machine. Retreating
hurriedly, he once more gained the yard, and finally gained a corridor
which gave access to the manager's buildings. It was perhaps half an
hour later, when Jules and Stuart were growing anxious, and were
listening eagerly for sounds of their friend's return, that they heard
steps on the stone staircase leading to their chamber.

"Henri without a doubt," said Stuart, a note of relief in his voice,
for the lusty fellow had taken an enormous liking for Henri. "That's